Ballast plate



Nov. 29, 1927.

1,650,819 J. H. CHRISTIE BALLAST PLATE Filed June 1927 Fig] II I

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' INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

JOHN H. CHRISTIE, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

BALLAST PLATE.

Application filed June 7,

My invention relates, in general, to railway track-bed construction, and, in particular, to a novel member of the assemblage which from its functional position may properly be termed a ballast-plate.

This member is a steel plate located under and supporting the rails between the cross ties, and resting upon the ballast, said plate having means for engaging both ballast and rail.-

The purpose of the plate is to give additional bearing for the rails, transmitting the imposed load of engines and rolling stock to the ballast. By means of this plate between the ties, there is a continuous bearing. Without it, the ties transmit loads, which create a disturbance in the ballast; which disturbance is in turn transmitted to the subsoil; whereas with the ballast plate, the load is uniform, and the rails are prevented from sagging and to the extent of the engagement of the plate with the ballast are prevented from creeping.

In the accompanying drawings, I show my novel ballast-plate and illustrate the improved railway bed assemblage of which said plate forms a part, it being understood that said plate is herein shown in its preferred form, which may be changed, however, without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings- Fig. l is a perspective view of my ballast- )late.

1 Fig. 2 is a plan of a railway track bed, including and showing the position of said ballast-plates.

Fig. 3 is a section of the track on the line 33 of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 4 is a section, enlarged, on the line 4-4- of Fig. 2.

As shown in Fig.'1the ballast-plate 1 is a deformed steel plate, which, by reason of its downturned angle flanges 2 on opposite sides, is given the strength and pressure resistance of a channel beam. It also has preferably a longitudinal centrfi depression 3 giving it the stifiness of a corrugation.

From the-plate are struck up the clamp lugs 4, preferably two in number on a line transverse of the plate. There are also struck up from the plate two abutment lugs 4 for the engagement of the flanged ends 9' of the compression spring 9. 5 are the track rails, 6 the crosstles and 7, in Fig. 3, 15 the 1927. Serial No. 197,074.

ballast, herein indicated by hatching lines. Between the ties are the ballast-plates 1. These may be placed between all the ties, as shown on the left in Fig. 2, or between oer tain ones, as shown on the right. The plates rest upon the ballast, their flanges penetratng it in lines parallel with the ties as shown 1n Fig. 3, and locking them against sidewise movement.

The rails 5 cross the plates 1 and rest thereon. The lugs 4 of the plates engage and clamp the base of the rails on one side, while the spring 9 bears against the rail base on the other side, thus guarding against endwise displacement of said plates. The plates are therefore firmly seated, the spring 9 insuring them against shaking, and serving also the further desirable purpose of providing for the ready removal of the plates Without injury to them, by simply knocking out the springs.

gAt a rail joint, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, tlige lugs 4 and springs 9 of the plate 1 instead of clamping and bearing against the rail base, engage the base of the fish-plates 8.

In placing the plates, the ballast upon which they rest should be prepared for them, as, for example, by tamping. This may be done in any acceptable manner.

I claim 1. Av ballast-plate for the described purpose, comprising a plate having down-turned side flanges, a pair of transversely aligned uprising clamp lugs, an opposing pair of transversely aligned uprising abutment lugs and a compression spring fitted to the abutment lugs in opposition to the clam lugs.

2. A ballast-plate for the described purpose, comprising a plate having down-turned side flanges, a pair of transversely aligned uprising clamp lugs, an opposing pair of transversely aligned uprising abutment lugs,

and a compression spring fitted to the abutment lugs in opposition to the clamp lugs, said plate having a corrugation extending bet-ween said lugs, parallel with said flanges.

3. In a railway track-bed the combination of ballast, cross-ties on the ballast, rails on the cross-ties, and plates seated on the ballast under and supporting the rails between the cross-ties, said plates having means for engaging the ballast and other means for engaging the rails, adapted to hold said plates in place.

4. In a railway track-bed the combination of ballast, cross-ties on the ballast, rails on the cross-ties, and plates seated on the ballast under and supporting the rails between the cross-ties, said plates having downturned side flanges penetrating the ballast on lines parallel with the ties, upturned lugs engaging the rail base on one side; other upturned lugs opposite said first named lugs, and a compression spring fitted to said last named lugs and hearings on the rail base on the other side.

5. In a railway track-bed the combination ofballast, cross-ties on the ballast, rails on the cross-ties, and plates seated on the ballast under and supporting the rails between the cross-ties, said plates havin down-turned side flanges penetrating the allast on lines parallel with the ties, u turned lugs engaging one side of the rail ase, other upturned lugs opposite said first named lugs, and a compression spring fitted to said last named ln s and bearing on the rail base on the Otfifil side, said plates being corrugated between the lugs, parallel with the side flanges.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN H. CHRISTIE. 

